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Affiliated Candidates

ELCA candidates at non-ELCA seminaries

Luther Seminary welcomes candidates for affiliation in order to complete educational and internship requirements for ordination or consecration in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Detailed steps regarding affiliation at Luther are listed below.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to working with you as you meet synodical requirements for ordination.

Steps for affiliation

Obtain entrance to candidacy from your synod candidacy committee and have entrance decision sent to Luther Seminary Student Resource Center.

Apply for admission through the Office of Admissions during your first term of studies at the non-ELCA seminary.

Participate in a supervised internship. (Students must be endorsed by the candidacy committee before beginning internship.)

Complete the course requirements for the M.A. (Studies in Lutheran Ministries) at Luther Seminary. The degree requirements can take place at any point concurrent to a student's M.Div. program or following the completion of an M.Div. at a non-ELCA seminary. Contact the registrar's office to sign a transcript release to have your Luther transcript sent to your candidacy committee.

Complete faculty and synod approval and assignment for first call.

The ordering of these steps may change based on individual circumstances and plans for completing ordination requirements.

It is the responsibility of the candidate to maintain ongoing contact with Luther, initiating contact with appropriate faculty and staff to fulfill the candidacy requirements.

Affiliation is expected to take place within the candidate's first term of study at a non-ELCA seminary. Affiliation and admission to the seminary is based on the admission requirements for the particular degree programs of the seminary. Your affiliation requires continued good academic standing at your primary seminary and continued progress with ELCA candidacy. The ELCA has set an affiliation fee of $950 that is to be paid to the ELCA seminary at the time of application for affiliation. Other tuition and fees are outlined in the Luther Seminary catalog and are applied after the candidate is enrolled at Luther.